


The Time Was Wrong

by masongirl



Series: The best laid plans [9]
Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Post-Graduation, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24345622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masongirl/pseuds/masongirl
Summary: Not long after graduation, Joe comes home from work one day and finds George in a bad mood. He cheers him up.
Relationships: George Luz/Joseph Toye
Series: The best laid plans [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682071
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	The Time Was Wrong

More often than not nowadays, Joe can tell from the shade of George's smile what kind of day he had. Today is a terrible one, because that smile is nowhere to be seen when he gets home, and neither is George. Although his shoes are in the hallway and the table is already set for dinner, he doesn't come greet Joe by the door. He could be asleep, but Joe's ears pick up on a sound coming from their bedroom and he knows instantly that George is awake and just as upset as he was when he failed an exam last term. He's listening to the same playlist he always does when something made him sad. Even though he has no idea what happened, Joe's chest tightens in sympathy. He just wants to make it better, to brush the pain away and kick everything that hurt his love out of their life.

When he opens the bedroom door, he finds George sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up, back against the wooden bed frame. His phone lies in front of his socked feet. He's hugging his stomach and doesn't look up when Joe sits cross-legged next to him.

"Hey, Georgie." Joe says and puts his left palm on George's shin, stroking down slowly. His touch smooths the creases out in George's jeans. "What's wrong?"

Without a word, George unlocks his phone and pushes it into Joe's right hand. A chat window is open and in it, a dozen unanswered messages glare up at Joe. Idle, cheerful texts and several invitations, even a selfie of the two of them with their printed dissertations. The texts have been sent to Buck over the course of at least four weeks.

"Is he okay?" Joe blurts his first thought out as he tries to recall the last time they have spoken to each other.

"I bumped into him today." George replies glumly. He takes his phone back and tosses it aside. "He's doing well, I think. He seemed happy."

"That's good." 

"It just means he ignores me on purpose." George mutters, straightening the leg Joe's not caressing. "And you know what's the best? He kept saying we'd definitely keep in touch and he would see me around."

Joe knows George thinks those must have been empty, pretentious promises out of reflexive politeness, and he also knows that's probably the right assumption. Still, he figures it's his duty this time to try and soothe the sting of the truth somewhat. 

"He must be busy preparing for law school."

"I just don't understand. He was one of our closest friends." 

"College is over. People drift apart." 

Joe can feel it too. How the thinner ties he built with other people come loose one by one. If he had to be honest, he'd say it began when he and George moved in together. His life has started its own course, with new people and new daily routines, and most of his old buddies don't matter anymore. It doesn't bother him. It's natural - once convenience disappears, only the deepest connections remain. But he knows this is all much more important to George for reasons he hasn't yet managed to fully understand.

"Does he have to cut us out so suddenly though?" George bows his head. "This is what happens to me all the time. My friends just go and disappear. I must be too annoying or, I don't know, maybe I get boring after a while."

"You don't." Joe leans closer to stress it. He doesn't want to say that George lets them too close, because that's not quite what it is. George just invests so much into other people's happiness that he can't imagine why they wouldn't return even a fraction of that attention. "They just never deserved your care."

George sighs, as if the things Joe said were unconvincing and banal. He wiggles the foot of his outstretched leg to the rhythm of the music flowing from his phone, and his lips curl downward to match his forlorn expression. As he stares into nothing, the ghosts of a thousand one-sided gifts glisten in his brown irises. He's too deep in his mood now and keeps tearing his old scars open again.

Joe cups his cheek and kisses his temple. "Wanna come shower with me?"

It has become a source of comfort for them, even just being in the bathroom and talking while the other showers. There's something pleasing about its casual intimacy. Normally, George would answer with an enthusiastic yes, but all he does now is looking at the black screen of his phone again and pursing his lips. He might be thinking of texting Buck again, unwilling to let go, so Joe decides to do something drastic to jostle him out of it.

"All right. If this is what it takes." Joe straightens, resigned. He has no voice for singing and rather sounds like a handful of dust blown into a metal bucket, but he'll gladly take the embarrassment if it cheered George up. He waits for the chorus of the current song, then joins in the best he can. It's so flat and off-key he almost bursts out laughing at himself.

_ "Said, I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die, there's a place for us…"  _ He croons, and George's crestfallen eyes rise from his empty phone screen. His eyebrows curve up in amusement and disbelief. _ "You know the movie song. When you gonna realise -" _

_ "- it was just that the time was wrong?"  _ George whispers the last line with him, then shakes his head and leans into Joe's side. His smile is the shade of sunshine after rain.

_ ~End~ _

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics are from the fabulous Dire Straits song Romeo and Juliet


End file.
